Page 4 - NAMAH-Jan-2023

Finally, the body obeys the mind automatically in
those things in which it is formed or trained to obey
it, but the relation of the body to the mind is not in
all things that of an automatic perfect instrument.
The body also has a consciousness of its own and,
though it is a submental instrument or servant
consciousness, it can disobey or fail to obey as well.
In many things, in matters of health and illness for
instance, in all automatic functionings, the body
acts on its own and is not a servant of the mind.
If it is fatigued, it can offer a passive resistance to
the mind’s will. It can cloud the mind with tamas,
inertia, dullness, fumes of the subconscient so that
the mind cannot act. The arm lifts itself no doubt
when it gets the suggestion, but at first the legs do not
obey when they are asked to walk; they have to learn
how to leave the crawling attitude and movement
and take up the erect and ambulatory habit. When
you first ask the hand to draw a straight line or to
play music, it can’t do it and won’t do it. It has to
be schooled, trained, taught, and afterwards it does
automatically what is required of it. All this proves
that there is a body consciousness different from
the mind consciousness which can do things at the
mind’s order but has to be awakened, trained, made
a good and conscious instrument. It can even be so
trained that a mental will or suggestion can cure the
illnesses of the body.

— Sri Aurobindo